Shadia Drury has a piece in Free Inquiry on the decay of American democracy. The problem is not with the quality of the institutions but the character of the politicians. She points to an erosion of courage and moderation among the political class.

Waning courage:

[Politicians] are motivated by fear—fear that they will find themselves facing a well-funded opponent when seeking reelection. The result of this widespread corruption is gargantuan profits for large corporations that ship jobs overseas, environmental degradation, impoverishment of the working classes, shrinking of the middle class, and useless wars in the Middle East that serve neither the interests of America nor her client state—they merely augment the financial coffers of security companies and the arms industry. It is time for Americans to look for courage among their elected leaders. It is time to expose the cowards who have not the courage to stand up for the good of their nation.

Waning moderation:

America’s political elites are plagued by a sharp rise in fanaticism and a corresponding decline in moderation.

The divide between Democrats and Republicans has reached religious proportions. Ironically, this is happening when the difference between the two political parties is less and less discernible.

I agree on the shoddy quality of the American political elite at present. I confess to not knowing what are the causes and what may be the remedy for this decline.